The second season of The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power is here, but why is the character of Bronwyn not involved? Read on to find out.
The first three episodes of the new season are streaming on Amazon Prime Video now, with the remainder of the eight episodes to be released weekly until October 3.
Created by J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay, the prequel series is set thousands of years before J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord Of The Rings trilogy and depicts the rise of Sauron in Middle-earth’s Second Age.
The show’s cast is led by Morfydd Clark as Galadriel, alongside Lenny Henry, Ciarán Hinds and Rory Kinnear, with Jack Lowden joining as a young Sauron.
The show has proved divisive among critics so far, but in a four-star review of the new season, NME wrote: “The action comes to a head in an epic battle told across two episodes, balanced against some excellent character work (and surprising deaths). Those who complained that nothing happened in House Of The Dragon’s sophomore effort will thrill at how The Rings Of Power refuses to slump.”
“Indeed, the second season improves on the first, sharpening its narrative and taking assured footsteps forward as the writers continues to tell this expansive tale. Let’s just hope the series doesn’t make like the hobbits and end up going in circles.”
Why is Bronwyn not in The Rings Of Power season two?
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Warning: spoilers ahead
The new season includes a number of new faces alongside a cast of familiar characters, but one fan favourite that is not present in the latest episodes is Bronwyn, played by Nazanin Boniadi.
In episode two, it is revealed that the character had died, despite still being alive at the end of the first season, with the audience learning that she did not recover from an arrow wound suffered during a battle with Adar and his Orcs.
We hear Bronwyn’s partner Arondir say: “I failed to stop Adar, I failed to protect her. I thought she was getting better. There is a foulness in Orc arrows not easily forgotten by human flesh.”
The choice to kill off Bronwyn was actually a consequence of Boniadi wishing not to return to the show for personal reasons. “I made the choice not to return for season two of Rings of Power,” she said in a statement.
“Throughout my career, the values I have held most dear are honesty, empathy and integrity. My character Bronwyn was committed to these same ideals in striving for a fairer world, which is why I connected so deeply with her. I look forward to sharing my latest projects with you soon.”